Jobberman, Mastercard Foundation Push Inclusive Hiring Agenda in Lagos

Jobberman Nigeria has asked employers to adopt inclusive hiring practices and improve workplace performance systems, after the Lagos edition of its HR Fusion programme organised with the Mastercard Foundation.

The event held on 20 February 2026 at the Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos, and focused on turning inclusion conversations into practical recruitment and retention decisions. Under the theme, “The Power of HER: Advancing Inclusive Hiring and Workplace Performance,” participants reviewed how institutions can widen access to work while maintaining output standards.

Attendees included HR professionals, company executives, recruiters and advocates working on fair employment policy. The central argument at the session was that inclusion should be planned, measured and linked to business outcomes, not treated as a public relations statement.

Olamide Adeyeye, Head of Programmes and Country Manager at Jobberman Nigeria, said the organisation is positioned to influence how job opportunities are created and matched across the labour market.

“We have a huge responsibility as an ecosystem shaper to provide direction and learning for the ecosystem, such that we can shape the present and future of what matching and employment opportunities look like for young people,” Adeyeye said.

He said rapid changes in global work structures mean employers in Nigeria must redesign their talent systems to support flexibility and long-term skills growth. He also said inclusive hiring remains a core part of Jobberman’s strategy, with specific attention to young people, women, persons with disabilities and internally displaced persons.

Adeyeye said demographic realities in Nigeria make broad-based access to work a national and corporate priority. “Research has shown repeatedly that organisations that are more inclusive in their hiring, have better economic and business outcomes,” he said.

He called for recruitment reforms that connect companies with demand-led talent pipelines and for stronger gender inclusion policies that can be tracked over time.

Samantha Ifezuluike, Head of Operations at Jobberman Nigeria, said employers need to move away from superficial compliance and apply intention at each stage of the employee journey.

“It should not be a check-in-the-box approach. Be very intentional about how you hire and how you support women through structured performance management, mentorship, and sponsorship,” she said. She added that workforce data should guide inclusion priorities and management decisions.

Participants said the forum offered practical direction for immediate implementation. Doyinsola Farayola, Operations Manager at Tash X @Filmhouse, said she would introduce a more structured hiring method. Benjamin Ogunbola, Lead, Project and Strategic Initiatives at PricePally, said inclusion must align with productivity and disciplined execution.

Jobberman said the HR Fusion programme is part of its wider collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation to strengthen employment systems and shape future work outcomes in Nigeria.